064-067

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[64]

THE GREAT INVOCATION

First Stanza (1935):

Let the Forces of Light bring illumination to mankind.
Let the Spirit of Peace be spread abroad.
May men of goodwill everywhere meet in a spirit of co-operation.
May forgiveness on the part of all men be the keynote at this time.
Let power attend the efforts of the Great Ones.
So let it be, and help us to do our part. (16 – 570), (5).

Second Stanza (1940):

Let the Lord of Liberation issue forth.
Let Him bring succour to the sons of men.
Let the Rider from the Secret Place come forth,
And coming, save.
Come forth, O Mighty One.

Let the souls of men awaken to the Light,
And may they stand with massed intent.
Let the fiat of the Lord go forth:
The end of woe has come!
Come forth, O Mighty One.
The hour of service of the saving force has now arrived.
Let it be spread abroad, O Mighty One.

Let Light and Love and Power and Death
Fulfil the purpose of the Coming One.
The WILL to save is here.
The LOVE to carry forth the work is widely spread abroad.
The ACTIVE AID of all who know the truth is also here.
Come forth, O Mighty One, and blend these three.
Construct a great defending wall.
The rule of evil now must end. (16 – 571), (5).

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Third Stanza (April 1945):

From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let Light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let Love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.

From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men –
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out,
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

Some time ago I gave out to the world – under instruction from the Christ – an Invocation that is destined to become of major usefulness in bringing about certain great events. These are:

1. An outpouring of love and light upon mankind, from Shamballa.

2. An invocatory appeal to the Christ, the Head of the Hierarchy, to reappear.

3. The establishing on earth of the divine Plan, to be accomplished willingly by humanity itself.

Incidentally, these three events are relatively near, and will be brought about by a conscious working out of the immediate phase of the Plan, which it is the divine intention to bring about to a certain extent, before the reappearance of the Christ. The establishing of right human relations, is the immediate task, and is that phase of the Plan of Love and Light to which humanity can most easily respond, and for which they are already evidencing a sense of responsibility.

Little attention has been paid to the factor of invocation as expressed by the people of the world; yet down the ages the invocative cry of humanity has risen to the Hierarchy, and brought response. . . .

Now the Great Invocation, as used by the Hierarchy itself, has been given out to the world. So reactionary is human thinking, that the claim made by [Page 142] me, that it is one of the greatest of the world's prayers, and is on a par with the other voiced expressions of spiritual desire and intention, will evoke criticism. That is of no importance . . .

The uniqueness connected with the Invocation, consists in the fact that it is, in reality, a great method of integration. It links the Father, the Christ and humanity in one great relationship. . . . The Great Invocation relates the will of the Father (or of Shamballa), the love of the Hierarchy, and the service of Humanity, into one great Triangle of Energies; this triangle will have two major results: the "sealing of the door where evil dwells", and the working out through the Power of God, let loose on earth through the Invocation, of the Plan of Love and Light . . .

When we invoke the Mind of God and say: "Let Light stream forth into the minds of men, let light descend on Earth", we are voicing one of the great needs of humanity, and – if invocation and prayer mean anything at all – the answer is certain and sure. When we find present in all people at all times, in every age and in every situation, the urge to voice an appeal to the unseen spiritual Centre, there is a fixed surety that such a Centre exists. Invocation is as old as the hills, or as old as humanity itself; therefore no other argument for its usefulness or its potency is required.

The usual invocative appeal has hitherto been selfish in its nature, and temporary in its formulation. Men have prayed for themselves; they have invoked divine help for those they love; they have given a material interpretation to their basic needs. The Invocation, lately given to us by the Hierarchy, is a world prayer; it has no personal appeal or temporal invocative urge; it expresses humanity's need and pierces through all the difficulties, doubts and questionings – straight to the Mind and the Heart of the One in Whom we live and move and have our being – the One Who will stay with us until the end of time itself, and "until the last weary pilgrim has found his way home".

But the Invocation is not vague and nebulous. It voices the basic needs of mankind today – the need for light and love, for understanding of the divine will, and for the end of evil. It says triumphantly: "Let light descend on earth; may Christ return to earth; let purpose guide the little wills of men; let the Plan seal the door where evil dwells". It then sums it all up in the clarion words: "Let light and love and power restore the Plan on Earth". Always the emphasis is laid upon the place of appearance and of manifestation: the Earth.

Already this Invocation is doing much to change world affairs – far more than may appear to your eyes. Much remains to be done. I would ask all [Page 143]students, all men of Goodwill, and all who are participating in the work of the Triangles, and helping to build the network of light and goodwill, to do all that is possible to spread the use of the Invocation . . .

The Invocation has been sent out by the combined Ashrams of the Masters and by the entire Hierarchy; it is used by its Members with constancy, exactitude and power. It will serve to integrate the two great centres: the Hierarchy and Humanity, and to relate them both in a new and dynamic manner to the "centre where the Will of God is known".

I ask you, therefore, during the coming years, to prepare, to use, and to distribute the Invocation, and make it a major endeavour. (18 – 755/9).

See also: (6 – 149/50, 156/76).

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[65]

GROUP RELATIONSHIPS

(1) No man . . . can make definite and specialised progress without his brother benefiting – this benefiting taking the form of:

The increase of the total consciousness of the group.

The stimulation of units in the group.

The group magnetism producing increased healing or blending effects upon allied groups.

In this thought lies, for the servant of the Master, incentive to effort; no man who strives for mastery, who struggles to attain, and who aims at expansion of consciousness, but is having some effect – in ever widening spirals – upon all whom he contacts, devas, men, and animals. That he knows it not, and that he may be totally unaware of the subtle stimulating emanation which proceeds from him, may be true, but nevertheless the law works. (3 – 465).

(2) The young people, who are now coming in, will come into life equipped with a much deeper sense of the group, and with their group awareness much more fully developed than is now the case . . . The individual and the unit, will slowly learn to subordinate the personal good, and the personal pleasure, to group conditions and group requirements. (14 – 302/3).

(3) In every grouping – whether in heaven or on earth – there is always evidenced a tendency by some units in the group to revolt, to rebel and to show some form of initiative different to that of the other units in the same grouping. (14 – 394).

(4) The path of the disciple is a thorny one; briars beset his every step, and difficulties meet him at every turn. Yet in the treading of the path, in [Page 144] the overcoming of the difficulties, and in a single-hearted adherence to the good of the group, with a proportionate attention to the individuals and their evolutionary development, comes at length fruition, and the attainment of the goal. A SERVER of the race stands forth. He is a server because he has no ends of his own to serve, and from his lower sheaths goes out no vibration which can beguile him from his chosen path. He serves, because he knows what is in man, and because for many lives he has worked with individuals and with groups, gradually expanding the range of his endeavour until he has gathered around him those units of consciousness whom he can energise, and use, and through whom he can work out the plans of his superiors. Such is the goal, but the immediate stages are fraught with difficulty for all who stand on the verge of self-discovery, and of becoming the Path itself. (1 – 75).

(5) Stand ready and watch the heart. ... It is not easy to love as do the Great Ones, with a pure love which requires nothing back; with an impersonal love that rejoices where there is a response, but looks not for it, and loves steadily, quietly, and deeply through all apparent divergences, knowing that when each has found his own way home, he will find that home to be the place of at-one-ment. . .

Cultivate happiness, knowing that depression, an over-morbid investigation of motive, and undue sensitiveness to the criticism of others leads to a condition wherein a disciple is almost useless . . . Suffering comes as the lower self rebels. Control that lower self, eliminate desire, and all is joy. (1 – 76).

(6) Each person in such groups has to learn to work in a close mental and spiritual co-operation with all the others, and this takes time, given the present point of evolutionary development of the world aspirants. Each has to pour forth love on all, and this is not easy. Each has to learn to subordinate his own personality ideas, and his personal growth, to the group requirements, for at present some will have to hasten their progress in certain directions, and some must slow it down as a service to others. This process will take place automatically as the group identity and integration becomes the dominant thought in the group consciousness, and the desire for personal growth and spiritual satisfaction is relegated to a secondary place. (15 – 181).

See also: For "Group Initiation" see "Teachings on Initiation" (6 – 241/439). and (6 – 381/4), (1 – 202).

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[66]

GUIDANCE

(1) The Problem of Guidance is a peculiarly difficult one to handle, for it is based on an innate instinctive recognition of the fact of God, and of God's Plan. This inherent, instinctual, spiritual reaction, is being exploited today by many well meaning reformers, who have, however, given no real attention to the subject, or to the phenomena of the outer response to a subjective urge. They are, in the majority of cases, blind leaders of the blind. We might define the problem of guidance, as the problem of the method whereby a man, through processes of auto-suggestion, throws himself into a state of negativity, and (whilst in that state) becomes aware of inclinations, urges, voices, clearly impressed commands, revelations of courses of conduct which should be pursued, or of careers which should be followed, plus a general indication of lines of activity which "God" is proposing to the attentive, negative, receptive subject. . . . But in any case, the source of the direction, and the origin of the guidance, is vaguely called "God", is regarded as divine, is spoken of as the voice of the "Christ within", or as spiritual direction. Many analogous terms are used, according to the school of thought to which the man may belong, or which has succeeded in attracting his attention.

We shall see this tendency towards subjective guidance of some kind or another, developing increasingly as humanity becomes more subjectively oriented, more definitely aware of the realms of inner being, and more inclined towards the world of meaning. It is for this reason that I desire to make a relatively careful analysis of the possible sources of guidance, so that at least men may know that the whole subject is vaster and more complicated than they had thought, and that it would be the part of wisdom to ascertain the origin of the guidance vouchsafed, and so know, with greater definiteness, the direction in which we are headed. Forget not that the blind, unreasoning subjecting of oneself to guidance (as at present practiced) renders a man eventually a negative impressionable automaton. Should this become universally prevalent, and the present methods become established habits, the race would forfeit its most divine possession, i.e., free will. There is no immediate fear of this, however, if the intelligent men and women of the world think this problem out. Also there are too many egos of advanced nature coming into incarnation at this time, to permit the danger to grow out of all bounds, and there are too many disciples in the world today, whose [Page 146] voices are ringing loudly and clearly along the line of free choice, and the intelligent comprehension of God's plan.

. . . The emotionally inclined people in the Churches of all denominations and persuasions, are ever prone to find a way of escape from the troubles and difficulties of life, by living always with a sense of the guiding Presence of God, coupled to a blind acquiescence in what is generalised as the "will of God". The practice of the Presence of God is most definitely a desirable and needed step, but people should understand what it means, and steadily change the sense of duality, into the sense of identification. The will of God can take the form of the imposition of life circumstance and conditions from which there is no escape; the subject of this imposition accepts it, and does literally nothing to improve or truly better (and perhaps avoid) the circumstances. Their destiny and situation is interpreted by them as such, that within the imposed ring-pass-not and lines of limitation, they determine placidly, submissively, to live. A spirit of submission and acquiescence is inevitably developed, and by calling the situation in which they find themselves an expression of God's will, they are enabled to bear it all. In some of the more sublimated states of this acquiescence, the sensitively inclined person voices his submission, but fails to recognise that the voice is his own. He regards it as God's voice. For them, the way of understanding, the recognition of the great Law of Cause and Effect (working out from life to life), and the interpretation of the problem in terms of a lesson mastered, would spell release from negativity and blind, unintelligent acceptance. Life does not demand acquiescence and acceptance. It demands activity, the separation of the good and high values from the undesirable, the cultivation of that spirit of fight, which will produce organisation, understanding, and eventual emergence into a realm of useful spiritual activity.

People who participate in the activity of those schools of thought, which are called by many names, such as Mental Science schools, New Thought groups, Christian Science, and other similar bodies, are also prone to drift into a state of negativity, based on auto-suggestion. The constant re-iteration of the voiced, but unrealised, fact of divinity will eventually evoke a response from the form side of life, which (even if it is not worded guidance) is, nevertheless, the recognition of a form of guidance, and leaves no scope for free will. This is a reaction on a large scale, from the one dealt with above. Whereas in the one case there is found a blind acceptance of an undesirable lot, because it is the will of God, and that Will therefore must be good and right, in the second group there is an attempt to stir the subjective man into the acceptance of a definitely opposite condition. He is taught that there are [Page 147] no wrong conditions, except as he himself creates them; that there is no pain, and nothing undesirable; he is urged to recognise that he is divine and the heir of the ages, and that the wrong conditions, limited circumstances, and unhappy occurrences, are the result of his own creative imagination. He is told they are really non-existent.

In the two schools of thought, the truth about destiny as it works out under the Law of Cause and Effect, and the truth about man's innate divinity, are taught and emphasised, but, in both cases, the man himself is a negative subject, and the victim either of a cruel fate, or of his divinity. I am wording this with deliberation, because I am anxious for my readers to realise that destiny never intended man to be a helpless victim of circumstance, or the self-hypnotised tool of an affirmed, but undeveloped, divinity. Man is intended to be the intelligent arbiter of his own destiny, and a conscious exponent of his own innate divinity, of the God within.

Again, schools of esotericists, theosophists and rosicrucians, (particularly in their inner schools) have also their own forms of this illusion of guidance. It is of a different nature to the two dealt with above, but the results are nevertheless of much the same quality, and reduce the student to a condition of being guided, often of being directed, by illusionary voices. Frequently the heads of the organisation claim to be in direct communication with a Master or the entire Hierarchy of Masters, from Whom orders come. These orders are passed on to the rank and file of the membership of the organisation, and prompt unquestioning obedience is expected of them. Under the system of training, imparted under the name of esoteric development, the goal of a similar relationship to the Master or Hierarchy, is held out as an inducement to work, or to meditation practice, and some day the aspirant is led to believe that he will hear his Master's voice, giving him guidance, telling him what to do, and outlining to him his participation in various roles. Much of the psychological difficulties found in esoteric groups, can be traced to this attitude, and to the holding out to the neophyte of this glamorous hope. In view of this, I cannot too strongly re-iterate the following facts:

1. That the goal of all teaching given in the real esoteric schools, is to put man consciously in touch with his own soul, and not with the Master.

2. That the Master and the Hierarchy of Masters work only on the plane of the soul, as souls with souls.

3. The conscious response to hierarchical impression and to the hierarchical plan, is dependent upon the sensitive reaction which can be developed and made permanent, between a man's own soul and his brain, via his mind.

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4. That the following points should be borne in mind:

a. When a man is consciously aware of himself as a soul, he can then be in touch with other souls.

b. When he is consciously a disciple, he is then in touch with and can collaborate intelligently with, other disciples.

c. When he is an initiate, other initiates become facts in his life and consciousness.

d. When he is a Master, the freedom of the Kingdom of Heaven is his, and he works consciously as one of the senior members of the Hierarchy.

But – and this is of prime importance – all these differentiations relate to grades of work, and not to grades of persons; they indicate soul expansions, but not graded contacts with personalities. According to the realised soul development upon the physical plane, will be the response to the world of souls of which the occult Hierarchy is the heart and mind. The guidance to which the adherents of many esoteric schools so often respond, is not that of the Hierarchy, but that of the astral reflection of the Hierarchy; they respond therefore to an illusory, distorted, man-made presentation of a great spiritual fact. They could, if they so chose, respond to the reality.

. . . Mystics of all kinds, with a natural predisposition to the introspective, negative life, are today hearing voices, receiving guidance, and obeying impulses, which they claim come from God. Groups everywhere are occupied with the task of orienting people to the spiritual life, or with the task of ascertaining the Plan of God, or of co-operating with it in some way or other. Some of these groups are working intelligently and are sometimes correct in their surmises and endeavours, but the bulk of them are incorrect, as they are largely astral in nature . . .

Therefore, it is of real value to us to study the sources from which much of this so-called "guidance" can come. For the sake of clarity and impressiveness, I propose to list these sources very briefly, and without any prolonged comment. This will give the earnest and intelligent investigator the opportunity to realise that the whole theme is vaster and far more important than has been surmised, and may lead to a more careful analysis of the "types of guidance", and an understanding of the possible directing agencies to which the poor and ignorant neophyte may fall a victim:

1. Guidance or instruction coming from the man or woman upon the physical plane, to whom the guided person is, usually unconsciously, looking for help . . .

2. The introverted attitude of the neophyte or mystic, brings to the surface [Page 149] all his subconscious "wish life" . . . These, however, he interprets in terms of definite extraneous guidance, and formulates them to himself in such a way that they become to him the Voice of God.

3. The recovery of old spiritual aspirations and tendencies, coming from a previous life or lives . . . They appear to him as utterly new and phenomenal, and he regards them as divine injunctions coming from God . . .

4. The "guidance" registered can also be simply a sensitivity to the voices and injunctions, and well-meaning intentions of good people on the path of return to incarnation. The spiritual dilemma of the race today is causing the rapid return of many advanced souls to life on the physical plane. As they hover on the borderland of outer living, awaiting their time to be re-born, they are oft contacted subjectively and unconsciously by human beings in incarnation, particularly at night when the consciousness is out of the physical body. What they say and teach (frequently good, usually indifferent in quality, and sometimes quite ignorant), is remembered in the waking hours of consciousness, and interpreted by the neophyte as the voice of God, giving guidance.

5. The guidance can also be of an astral, emotional nature, and is the result of the contacts made by the aspirant . . . upon the astral plane. . . . They are all coloured by glamour, and many well-meaning leaders of groups and organisations get their inspiration from these sources. There is, in them, no true lasting divine guidance . . .

6. The guidance recorded may also be the result of the man tuning in telepathically upon the mind or the minds of others . . .

7. The mental world, as well as the astral world is full of thought forms, and these can be contacted by man, and be interpreted by him as conveying guidance . . .

8. Guidance can come, therefore, from all kinds and types of incarnate or discarnate men, ranging in character from very good to very bad. They include the help proffered by real initiates and adepts through their working disciples and aspirants, to the mental and astral activities of ordinary intelligent men and women, including the emotionally and selfishly oriented person. It should be remembered that no true initiate or disciple ever seeks to control any person, nor will he indicate to him in the form of positive command, any action which he should take . . .

9. Guidance also comes from a man's own powerful, integrated personality, and he will frequently fail to recognise it for what it is . . .

10. Guidance can come, as you well know, from a man's own soul, whenthrough meditation, discipline and service, he has established contact, and [Page 150] there is consequently a direct channel of communication from soul to brain, via the mind. This, when clear and direct, is true divine guidance, coming from the inner divinity. It can, however, be distorted and misinterpreted if the mind is not developed, the character is not purified, and the man is not free from undue personality control. The mind must make right application of the imparted truth or guidance. Where there is true and right apprehension of the inner divine voice, then – and only then – do you have infallible guidance, and the voice of the inner God can then speak with clarity to its instrument, man upon the physical plane.

11. Once this latter form of guidance has been established, stabilised, fostered, developed and understood, other forms of spiritual guidance then become possible. (15 – 480/92).

(2) A neophyte in an ashram is under the guidance of a more advanced chela and "the Master is receiving regular reports (based on certain charts) from the senior disciple who has the neophyte in his charge." (6 – 11).

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[67]

HARMLESSNESS

(1) Harmful magnetic conditions, as the result of man's wrong handling of force, are the causes of evil in the world around us, including the three sub-human kingdoms. How can we, as individuals, change this? By the development in ourselves of Harmlessness. Therefore, study yourself from this angle. Study your daily conduct and words and thoughts so as to make them utterly harmless. Set yourself to think those thoughts about yourself and others which will be constructive and positive, and hence harmless in their effects. Study your emotional effect on others, so that by no mood, no depression, and no emotional reaction can you harm a fellow-man. Remember in this connection, violent spiritual aspiration and enthusiasm, misplaced or misdirected, may quite easily harm a fellow-man, so look not only at your wrong tendencies but at the use of your virtues.

If harmlessness is the keynote of your life, you will do more to produce right harmonious conditions in your personality than any amount of discipline along other lines. The drastic purgation brought about by the attempt to be harmless will go far to eliminate wrong states of consciousness . . .

Therefore, I say to you at this time, I – an older and perhaps more experienced disciple and worker in the great vineyard of the Lord – practice harmlessness with zest and understanding, for it is (if truly carried out) the destroyer of all limitation. Harmfulness is based on selfishness, and on an ego-centric attitude. It is the demonstration of forces concentrated [Page 151]for self-enforcement, self-aggrandisement, and self-gratification. Harmlessness is the expression of the life of the man who realises himself to be everywhere, who lives consciously as a soul, whose nature is love, whose method is inclusiveness, and to whom all forms are alike, in that they veil and hide the light, and are but externalisations of the One Infinite Being. This realisation, let me remind you, will demonstrate in a true comprehension of a brother's need, divorced from sentiment and expediency. It will lead to that silence of the tongue that grows out of non-reference to the separate self. It will produce that instantaneous response to true need which characterises the Great Ones who (passing beneath the outer appearance) see the inner cause which produces the conditions noted in the outer life, and so, from that point of wisdom, true help and guidance can be given. Harmlessness brings about in life caution in judgment, reticence in speech, ability to refrain from impulsive action, and the demonstration of a non-critical spirit. So, free passage can be given to the forces of true love, and to those spiritual energies which seem to vitalise the personality, leading consequently to right action.

Let harmlessness, therefore, be the keynote of your life. (4 – 101/3).

(2) I tell you that the achieving of harmlessness in the positive sense (not in the negative) means the attainment of that step which leads definitely to the Portal of Initiation. When first mentioned, it sounds of small moment, and to bring the whole subject of initiation into such small account that it becomes unimportant. But let him who so thinks practice that positive harmlessness which works out in right thought (because based on intelligent love), right speech (because governed by self-control), and right action (because founded on an understanding of the Law), and he will find that the attempt will call forth all the resources of his being and take much time to achieve. It is not the harmlessness that comes from weakness and sentimental loving disposition, which dislikes trouble because it upsets the settled harmony of life and leads to consequent discomfort. It is not the harmlessness of the little evolved negative impotent man or woman, who has not the power to hurt because possessing so little equipment wherewith damage can be done.

It is the harmlessness that springs from true understanding and control of the personality by the soul, that leads inevitably to spiritual expression in every-day life. It emanates from a capacity to enter into the consciousness and to penetrate into the realisation of one's brother, and when this has been accomplished – all is forgiven and all is lost sight of in the desire to aid and help. (4 – 317/8).

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(3) Let the "Forces of Light" flow through, and the ranks of the world servers will be rapidly filled. Let the "Spirit of Peace" use the lower nature as instrument, and there will be peace and harmony within the personal field of service. Let the "Spirit of Goodwill" dominate our minds, and there will be no room for the spirit of criticism and the spreading of destructive discussion. It is for this reason and in order to develop a group of servers who can work along true and spiritual lines, that there must be increasing emphasis upon the need for Harmlessness. Harmlessness prepares the way for the inflow of life; harmlessness dissipates the obstructions to the free outpouring of love; harmlessness is the key to the release of the lower nature from the grip of the world illusion, and from the power of phenomenal existence. (15 – 129).

(4) I have so emphatically impressed the need of harmlessness upon all of you, for it is the scientific method, par excellence, and esoterically speaking, of cleaning house, and of purifying the centres. Its practice clears the clogged channels and permits the entrance of the higher energies. (17 – 40).

(5) What shall I say concerning harmlessness? It is not easy for me to show or prove to you the effectiveness of the higher aspect, spiral or phase of harmlessness as employed by the Hierarchy, under the direction of the Perfect One, the Christ. The harmlessness with which I have earlier dealt, has relation to the imperfections with which humanity is wrestling, and is difficult for you to apply in and under all circumstances, as well you know. The harmlessness to which I refer in connection with you is not negative, or sweet, or kindly activity, as so many believe; it is a state of mind and one which in no way negates firm or even drastic action; it concerns motive and involves the determination that the motive behind all activity is goodwill. That motive might lead to positive and sometimes disagreeable action or speech, but as harmlessness and goodwill condition the mental approach, nothing can eventuate but good.

On a higher turn of the spiral, the Hierarchy also employs harmlessness, but. . . (abstruse). (17 – 670).

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